Therapeutic machine



Feb. 13, 1940. w. BROWNER THERAPEUTIC MACHINE Filed Feb. 19, 1937 3 1% v Ill/1 :1

INVENTOR.

\OILLIA D WIQK Patented Feb. 13, 1940 2.10am mammcxsomru williamnrownmlan Ma, of one-half to Wayne Llmbetg 0.111., llslgnar Bakersfield,

cane, and onellalt to lppcraon,

WCIIIL' Application February 13, 1937, No. 120,334

The present invention relates to improvements in therapeutic machines and its principal object is to provide a machine of the character described which utilizes commercial alternating current for the production of sinusoidal and other currents adapted to be used in the human body for certain physiologic effects and metabolic results.

A further object oi the invention is to provide a machine of the character described which is comparatively simple, easily controlled, inexpensive and which does not require any machinery involving rotary parts such as motors, generators, potentiometers etc.

It is further proposed in the present invention 1 to utilize for the desired results a rectifying vacuum tube and to bring about variations in the intensity of the output current of the tube by suitable control of the temperature of the filament of the tube.

As a further object of my invention I propose to control the temperature of the filament by periodically interrupting the filament circuit whereby the filament is alternately heated and cooled, the alternate rise and decline in the temperature taking place gradually so as to correspond substantially to a sine wave and the plate circuit being made to rise and decline proportionately.

It is still further proposed to provide means in connection with the filament circuit for always maintaining a minimum temperature of the filament, during operation, so that complete cooling of the latter is prevented.

And finally it is proposed to provide certain circuits and combinations of circuits for carrying out the objects aforesaid and to provide certain control means allowing diflerent combinations to become active and different results to be obtained by a single setting of a control element.

Further objects and advantages of my invention will appear as the specification proceeds.

The preferred form of my invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing which shows a general electrical circuit by means of which my invention may be carried out.

While I have shown only the preferred form of my invention I wish to have it understood that various changes or modifications may be made within the scope of the claim hereto attached without departing from the spirit of the invention.

For an easy understanding of the invention the circuit has been divided into four units enclosed in the four dotted-line rectangles, the four units being atubecircuit l,aflasherrelaycircuit2,a sang switch 3 and an output circuit 4.

The tube circuit derives its power from an ordinary commercial line 3 and is connected thereto by a power transformer 3. The primary coil 5 I of the transformer is connected to the line wires by means of conductors 3 and 3, one of the conductors having a main switch ii.

The transformer I has two secondary coils II and I2, the former being a high voltage coil pro- 10 ducing preferably 560 volts between the ends and a central tap l3 and the latter being of low voltage, preferably 5 volts. The latter coil forms part of the filament circuit of the full wave rectifying tube II and is connected to the filament 16 ll through the wire IS. The filament circuit includes the wires I l and I3 leading to the gang switch 3 and the variable resistance I! used for power control. It also includes a second variable resistance 23 connected across the wires I I and 20 II, as at 2| and 22 and intended to serve as a tube warmer, that is, as a means for keeping the filament at least at a minimum temperature. A wire l3 connects the power control resistance II to the coil I2. 25

The filament circuit, furthermore, has a make and break switch 23 which is included into the circuit through the wire 24 connecting with the wire II, the wire 25 leading to the switch, and the wire 23 leading from the switch 23 to the 30 gang switch 3 for connection to the wire IS in certain positions of the gang switch.

The tube has two plates 21 and 23 and the two plates are connected to the opposite ends of the secondary ll of the power transformer by means 35 of wires 28 and 30, each of which includes one of the two primary coils 3| and 32 of the audiofrequency transformer 33. The central tap ll of the secondary coil ll of the power transformer is connected by wire 34 to the gang switch 3 40 for connection to the wire ll of the filament circult in certain positions of the switch.

The secondary coil 35 of the audio-frequency transformer is connected, at one end, to the gang switch through the wire ll, and, at the other 46 end, through the wire 36, to a reversing switch 31 in the output circuit 4, this connection being continued. through the wire 38, to the gang switch 3.

It has been noted that the filament circuit 60 has a make and break switch 23 and the control means for the switch is illustrated at 2. The switch comprises a stationary contact 33' and a movable contact represented by the plunger 33 of a solenoid 43. The winding of the solenoid is 58 connected to the line wires I by means of the two wires 4| and 42, the latter wire having a low resistance connection with the solenoid through the thermostatic element 43 and a high-resistance connection through the coil 44 about the element 4! and a variable resistance 4|.

The thermostatic element 43 forms a switch with the wire 42 as at 49. When the latter switch is open, as shown in the drawing, the line current passes through the coil, variable resistance 45 and the solenoid 40, but on account of the load is too weak to hold the plunger 39 so that the latter drops and closes the switch 23. At the same time the current passing through the coil 44 heats the thermostatic element 43 and causes the latter to bend and to close the switch 46. The current now flows through the thermostatic element, avoiding the coil 44 and the resistance 45, and is now sufliciently strong to lift the plunger .9 for breaking the switch 29. The thermostatic element now begins to cool and after a short interval again breaks the switch at 48, which again causes the plunger to drop. Thus the switch 29 is opened and closed alternately and the period of the alternations may be controlled by adjustment of the variable resistance 45.

The gang switch may be of conventional construction and is shown diagrammatically. In its structural features it may comprise a rotary shaft having three spaced and insulated contacts 48,

49 and Ill connected to arms 49, 49' and 50'. sliding over three annular series of spaced contacts marked ll, 52 and 53 respectively. The contacts of the three series are arranged in radial alinement so that in each active position of the shaft the three arms make contact with three registering contacts of the series. The latter contacts are suitably interconnected to bring about the specific combinations desired.

It will be noted that the wire 99 coming from the reversing switch connects with contact 49, the wire 94 coming from the central tap I 3 of the power transformer with the contact 48 and the wire l8 of the filament circuit with the contact 50, while the wire ll of the filament circuit gclmnects with one of the stationary contacts as at The output circuit 4, into which the body of the patient is to be connected throu h suitable electrodes p u ed in at I. contains the reversing switch 31 previously mentioned and a neon lamp 56 across the two output wires 51 and 58 to indicate the type of current passing through the circuit. As the sine wavesurges and decreases the glow of the lamp increases and decreases. To measure the intensity of the current passing through the patient an alternating current milllammeter 59 is provided which measures both alternating and direct current. The reversing switch permits the poles to be reversed on the patient without changing the electrodes.

For the purposes of this invention the production of sinusoidal current is of the greatest importance and the circuits involved in this process will now be traced on the drawin The gan switch, for this purpose, is to be adjusted so as to bring the three contacts 48, 49 and 50 of the rotatable shaft over the third radial set of contacts, marked BI, 62 and 68 respectively and the circuits involved may be traced as follows:

The filament circuit comprises the coil l2 which represents the source of power, the wire l9 connecting with one end of the coil, the filament IS, a portion of the wire II, the wires 24 and 25, the

make and break switch", the wire 28, the sta tionary contact 68, the movable contact It, the wire I, and the power control resistance I! which connects with the other side of the coil I! through a wire II. It will be noted that this circuit includes the make and break switch 21 and that, therefore, the filament circuit is opened and closed alternately whereby an alternate heating and cooling of the filament is effected with a corresponding alternate increase and decrease in the resistance of the tube or electronic travel from filament to plate.

At the same time the filament circuit includes, across the make and break switch, the variable resistance 20 which allows a small amount of current to pass through the filament even though the make and break switch is open and prevents the temperature of the filament from dropping below a desired minimum degree. This circuit may be traced as comprising the coil l2, the wire it, the filament I5, the wire 24, the variable resistance 20 (tube warmer), part of wire 18, the resistance l9 (power control) and wire IS.

The plate circuit includes the two plates 21 and 29, the two coils 3| and 92 of the primary of the audio-frequency transformer, the two halves of the secondary i I of the power transformer, the central tap I 3, the wire 34, the contact 49, the stationary contact 6| which connects with the contact 54 in the gang switch, as shown in the drawing, the wire l1 and the filament IS.

The output circuit includes the secondary 35 of the audio-frequency transformer, the wire 36, the reversing switch 31, the wire 38, the contacts 49 and 82 and the wire I! connecting with the secondary II.

It is apparent that when the gang switch is in the position under discussion, the output current will alternately increase to a maximum and decrease to a minimum to form a substantially sinusoidal wave in timed relation to the alternate heating and cooling of the filament.

This sinusoidal wave is imposed on an a. c. current having the same frequency as the line current. If it is desired to use a pulsating current of twice the frequency as a foundation for the sinusoidal wave, the gang switch is moved to the fourth position to engage the contacts 64, 9B and 99. In this position the filament circuit remains the same, the contact 66 being directly connected to the contact 63. The circuit of the secondary 95 of the audio-frequency transformer is broken since there is no return connection from the contact 64 through the wire ii to the secondary coll. But the-plate circuit is connected, and includes the secondary 35 of the audio-frequency transformer, as follows:

I A current passes from the plate 21 through the coil 3|, the wire 29 and one-half of the coil ii to the tap it and alternately a second current passes from the plate 29 through the coil 32 and the other half of coil II to the tap i3. From here the alternations which have the same direction so as to form a pulsating current, pass through the wire 34, the contacts 49 and 64, contacts 65 and 49, the reversing switch 31, wire 36, the secondary 35 of the audio-frequency transformer and the wire I! to the filament l5.

This connection, therefore, results in a sinusoidal wave superimposed on a pulsating current of a frequency twice that of the line current.

The first position of the gang switch involving the contacts 61, 68, and 54 produces a straight alternating current. In the filament circuit the make and break switch is omitted, the current flowing from the coil I! through the filament IS, the wire H, the contacts 54 and 50, the wire I I and through the power control resistance l9 back to the coil l2.

The plate circuit includes the plates 21 and 28, the primary coils 3| and 32, the two halves of the secondary I I, the tap l3, the wire 34, the contacts 48 and 61, the wire I! and the filament IS.

The output circuit comprises the secondary 35,

10 the wire 36, the reversing switch 31, the wire 38,

volving the contacts 69, 10 and H intermittent alternating current is produced by including the make and break switch directly into the output circuit which may be traced as follows:

Current flows from the secondary 35 of the 20 audio-frequency transformer through the wire 36, the reversing switch 31, the wire 38, contacts 49 and 10, contact 63, wire 26, make and break switch 23, wire 25 and wire 24 and I! back to the secondary 35.

The filament and plate circuits are the same as in the first position.

The fifth and sixth positions of the gang switch produce a combination A. C. and D. C. and a straight D. C. output current, but are not of sufficient interest for the purposes of the invention to require tracing.

I claim:

In a therapeutic machine, a transformer having a primary and two secondary coils, means for connecting the primary to a source of alternating current, a rectifying tube having a filament and two plates, means for connecting one of the secondary coils tothe filament including a flasher relay circuit for periodically opening and closing the filament circuit, means for connecting opposite ends of the other secondary coil to the two plates, means for connecting an intermediate tap of the second secondary coil to the filament and a second transformer including l two primaries arranged in the plate connections and an output secondary.

WILLIAM BROWNER. 

